Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation display device for displaying some of a plurality of operation buttons.
Description of Related Art
Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus, such as a printing machine, a multi function peripheral having a printing function, a scanning function, a copying function and a facsimile function, and the like, an operation panel or the like provided in a main body of the image forming apparatus is used to perform a setting operation, such as print settings or the like. In the setting operation, not only hardware keys arranged on the operation panel but also operation buttons which are software keys displayed on a display unit of the operation panel, are used.
In recent years, the multi function peripheral has multi-functioned more and has many operation buttons for performing the setting operations. However, because the size of the operation panel (display unit) is limited, it is difficult to display all of the operation buttons on the display unit in the size in which the contents of each operation button can be viewed by a user at the same time. Therefore, in general, the multi function peripheral displays some of a plurality of operation buttons and moves the positions of some of the operation buttons. As a result, the multi function peripheral displays each of the operation buttons and receives the setting operation to the displayed operation buttons. As a method for moving the positions of some of the operation buttons, for example, a so-called scroll display in which all of the operation buttons and the like which cannot be displayed in a display screen at the same time are displayed by sliding them in the up and down direction or in the right and left direction, has been proposed.
Further, when the above-described scroll display is performed, a part of the operation button may protrude from the screen. As a result, there are some cases in which the user cannot confirm the identification information (such as a caption, an icon or the like, hereinafter, referred to as button identification information) of the function assigned to the operation button and described in the frame of the operation button. For example, FIG. 21 shows an example in case that the operation buttons are displayed in the state in which each part of two of the operation buttons protrudes from the screen. In FIG. 21, four operation buttons (FUNC A, FUNC B, FUNC C and FUNC D are described in the frames as the button identification information) are displayed on the display unit 31. However, each part of the operation buttons which are FUNC A and FUNC D protrudes from the screen (in FIG. 21, each part of the operation buttons which protrudes from the screen is shown in gray) and the user cannot view the above part.
When a part of the button identification information protrudes from the screen, there are some cases in which the user cannot recognize the contents of the button identification information. In FIG. 21, for example, in the operation button in which FUNC D is displayed, the character part (the character “D” shown in the drawing) of the button identification information, for identifying FUNC D from the other functions protrudes from the screen. In this state, the user cannot recognize the function assigned to the operation button in which a part of the button identification information protrudes from the screen.
Normally, in the scroll display, in case that there is an operation button in which a part of the button identification information protrudes from the screen, in order to confirm the button identification information described in the frame of the operation button, it is necessary that the user performs the scroll operation again and returns the display position to the position in which the button identification information can be viewed.
In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-88506, the following technology is disclosed. By linking operation panel with the display contents of a mobile terminal arranged adjacent to the operation panel, the contents continued to the window displayed by the operation panel are displayed on the mobile terminal (the display area is enlarged). In this technology, because a part of the operation button, which protrudes from the display area of the operation panel is displayed on the mobile terminal, the user can view the whole operation button across the operation panel and the mobile terminal (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-88506).
In the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-88506, it is necessary that the mobile terminal is prepared in order to display a part of the button identification information, which protrudes from the display area of the operation panel, and that the operation for linking the mobile terminal with the display contents is performed. Therefore, the troublesome task is given to the user.